


The Purification of Dirty Blood

by SilverTonguedSlytherin1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Blood Adoption (Harry Potter), Gen, Magical Adoption, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Lily Evans Potter, Pureblood Society (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24463591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverTonguedSlytherin1/pseuds/SilverTonguedSlytherin1
Summary: Sentiments against those with Muggle blood are growing in the wizarding world, and some are taking extreme steps to protect themselves and their families. Severus Snape has convinced his best friend Lily Evans to do something about her own. There is only one solution for a Mudblood like her, though: she must be adopted into two Pureblood Lines.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FalconHonour](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconHonour/gifts).



Lily Evans shakes a bit with nerves as she goes to the Room of Requirement, but determination outweighs her fear, if only by a little. She _must_ do this ritual, if not for her own protection than for Petunia's. The wizarding world has grown more strongly in its biases against those like her, those born to Muggles, and she worries war will break out soon. She worries it already has, and nobody is willing to admit it. She worries that when they go to war, her family will be targets.

So Lily is going to do the only thing she can to protect them: she is going to disown her family.

Oh, if only it was so simple. 

No, Lily is not simply disowning the Evans family. She is going to be adopted _by blood_ into two others. She is going to be adopted into two pureblood lines. 

The very thought makes her sick, but she has to do this, if only to prevent Severus' work from being in vain. She doesn't want to know what he offered to get them to agree. She can't imagine how Slytherin would treat him if she backed out of this ritual. 

The doors are large, dark and foreboding. The wood is dark, and the swirling hinges are darker. They look like what she would expect in a Dracula movie. Lily pushes them, having to supply a fair amount of effort to get the heavy doors to move and walks inside the room.

It looks different than last time, naturally. This time, the walls are bare stone, and the windows are long and tall. The center is sunken down three steps, and each of the those three steps is full of viewers. The very middle has a stone altar. On one side is Bellatrix Black, she who will be Lily's "mother," and on the opposite side is Rodolphus Lestrange, he who will Lily's "father." Adjacent to each is Lucius Malfoy, who will preside over the ritual. 

Lily has never been surrounded by so many Slytherins in all her life, although she does note that there are people from all Houses present, notably the Prewett twins, Frank Longbottom, and Kingsley Shacklebolt from her own House, Gryffindor. She swallows and steps forward until she is about a half-step away from the altar.

Malfoy wastes no time. "Fine witches and wizards," he addresses them, "we are gathered here today to witness the adoption of Miss Lily Evans into the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black and Lestrange, removing from her the taint of Muggle blood. If anyone here has reason why this adoption can not take place, speak now or remain silent for all future days." He pauses a moment to see if there will be any objections, but the sneer upon his face makes it clear that he dares anyone to do so.

He draws his wand and points it to the middle of the altar; with no discernable disgust, he looks Lily in the eye and says, "Grip the altar with your wand arm." She gently grabs the cool stone with her right hand, then Malfoy asks, "Do you, Lily Jean Evans, of your own free will renounce your _Muggle_ lineage, its world, and its customs?"

"I do." A thread of golden magic leaves the wand and curls itself around her right hand. It feels cold, and somehow both oily and like steel. She has a feeling that, if she tried to back out now, her own magic would abandon her.

Malfoy turns slightly to face Bellatrix, "Grip the altar with your wand arm," and she does. "Do you, Bellatrix Persephone Black, take this witch as your lawfully and magically adopted daughter? Do you promise to teach her our ways and our arts, to love and respect her as a Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black?"

"I do." A thread of silver-purple magic leaves Malfoy's wand, it twines itself around both Bellatrix and Lily's arms. 

He turns back to Lily, "Do you, Lily Jean nee Evans, accept your place as a Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black?" 

"I do." Another thread of golden magic exits the wand, wrapping itself side-by-side with Bellatrix's silver-purple thread. The feelings it brings are warmth, care, and _pride_. Suddenly, like pinpricks, she can feels _others_ , Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa. Sirius and Regulus. And others, more faintly, like Potter and Malfoy, and _oh_. Oh, the web of Family magic, of Lineage it's not metaphorical at all. Oh, oh my. 

Malfoy turns now to face Rodolphus, "Grip the altar with your wand arm." Rodolphus holds it with his left hand. "Do you, Rodolphus Augustus Lestrange, take this witch as your lawfully and magically adopted daughter? Do you promise to teach her our ways and our arts, to love and respect her as a Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Lestrange?" 

"I do." A thread of silver-blue magic leaves the wand, wrapping around Rodolphus and Lily's arms.

"Do you, Lily Jean nee Evans, Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, accept your place as a Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Lestrange?"

"I do." A third golden thread of magic wraps itself alongside Rodolphus' silver-blue thread. It too brings warmth, care, and _pride_. Her awareness of Rodolphus and Rabastan grows, but it is the Blacks who remain most strongly.

Malfoy looks at Lily completely differently now. His gaze holds respect and perhaps even a touch of fondness, whereas before it held only distaste and contempt. He speaks clearly and loudly, without need nor want to yell, "Noble witches and wizards, I proudly present to you Lily Jean Black, Daughter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Lestrange." 

The room fills with applause, although the hesitance of the _Lighter_ members is palpable. Lily is a Gryffindor, yes, but she's already friends with _Snape_ who is practically a Death Eater. It's clear that all in the room are curious to see if another follower of the Dark Lord has just been brought into their world. 


	2. Chapter 2

Horace Slughorn never married, and he never had any children. He always thought that having his Slug Club, his network of the best and brightest, was enough. But he's growing older now, and he recognizes the need for an heir. It's why he's agreed to adopt Severus, Emmeline Prince's boy.

Abraxas Malfoy is proud to be the one asked to preside over Horace's adoption of the young halfblood. The welcoming of new life into any of the Sacred Lines is always worthy of a celebration, regardless of how it is entered. To be involved is always an honor. He stands in his finest dress robes and waits for the boy's entrance.

Severus walks in quietly. His dress robes are old, faded and tattered, the lace trim stained and moldy. His "father" has promised to provide him with a new wardrobe after his adoption, but doing so before the adoption would be considered an insult. 

There are few witnesses, only about four dozen or so, almost all Slytherins, and Severus is grateful for the relative privacy. 

Mr. Malfoy begins the ritual immediately."Fine witches and wizards," he addresses them, "we are gathered here today to witness the adoption of Mister Severus Snape into the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slughorn, removing from him the taint of Muggle blood. If anyone here has reason why this adoption can not take place, speak now or remain silent for all future days." 

He moves on quickly, clearly uninterested in anyone's objections. As far as Abraxas Malfoy is concerned, Horace and Severus are willing, and anyone else's opinion is irrelevant. 

To Severus, he says, "Grip the altar with your wand arm." He grabs the dark marble with his right hand, then Mr. Malfoy asks, "Do you, Severus Tobias Snape of the House of Prince, of your own free will renounce your _Muggle_ lineage, its world, and its customs?"

"I do." A thread of golden magic leaves the wand and curls itself around his right hand. He feels cold and slick while his Muggle heritage leaks out of him.

Mr. Malfoy turns slightly to look at Professor Slughorn more fully, "Grip the altar with your wand arm." He does. "Do you, Horace Slughorn, take this wizard as your lawfully and magically adopted son? Do you promise to teach him our ways and our arts, to love and respect him as a Son of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slughorn?"

"I do." A thread of silver-grey magic leaves Mr. Malfoy's wand, it twines itself around both Professor Slughorn and Severus' arms. 

He turns back to Severus, "Do you, Severus Tobias nee Snape, accept your place as a Son of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slughorn?" 

"I do." Another thread of golden magic exits the wand, wrapping itself alongside Professor Slughorn's silver-grey thread. And suddenly the Professor's presence is a strong, glowing presence. Others grow stronger as well; whereas before, Severus had only a vague impression of any presences other than his mother. Now, though, there are dozens, _hundreds_ of lives surrounding Severus.

He isn't alone anymore. 

He isn't a freak, little more than a Mudblood anymore.

He nearly doubles with relief.

Severus feels more than hears Mr. Malfoy announce, "Noble witches and wizards, I proudly present to you Severus Tobias Slughorn, Son of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slughorn and the House of Prince."

"Thank you, sir," he whispers to Professor Slughorn.

"Thank you for becoming my heir, Severus. And you should call me "Father" now," he replies.

Father. Severus' experience has taught him to fear those, but he feels no malice in Professo- in Father. It's a joy and a relief.

He feels a tentative prod against his magic. A Black, _Lily Black_. He had not noticed her in the crowd. Her magic feels right against his.

Before, she had been a Muggleborn and a Gryffindor. Being friends with her caused him trouble, especially as someone attempting to overcome the taint of Muggle blood himself. 

Then, she had been adopted into the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Lestrange. Then, the issue was that she was so far above him that talking to her felt wrong. 

For the first time since they began attending Hogwarts, Severus doesn't feel like their blood status has to impact his friendship with Lily. 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a couple of notes, I really like the idea of magic kind of deciding the dominant Line of a witch or wizard, especially when they are adopted, so that's why Lucius waits until Lily has been adopted by both Bellatrix and Rodolphus before announcing her as a Black.  
> Also, I really like that idea of intertwined magic/Family magic and all the ways that might be expressed. I think purebloods and even halfbloods don't really think about it, but it's something that does effect things.
> 
> Yeah, no blood was actually used in this adoption, but I feel that the idea still applies. 
> 
> Originally, I wanted to write this fic about Sirius and either Marlene or Molly or Arthur and Molly adopting Lily, but that just didn't happen. I do think that a Light-side pureblood Lily would be interesting.   
> One of the biggest changes, no matter who adopts Lily, is that she's no longer genetically related to Petunia. So, _if _Voldemort kills her and tries to get Harry, Harry can't be sent to the Dursleys for protection. He _has _to go to a magical family. :)____
> 
> ____I'm considering a second chapter with Severus being adopted on one side to override his father's blood, likely by Abraxas Malfoy._ _ _ _
> 
> ____This fic may be rewritten because I like it, but I'm not satisfied. I'd like to go more in-depth with the descriptions, especially with the changes Lily feels. However, I do like it enough to post it for now._ _ _ _
> 
> ____Thank you for reading!_ _ _ _
> 
> ____Constructive criticism is gladly welcomed, but hate and bashing will not be tolerated. Thank you for understanding!_ _ _ _


End file.
